As is known, the aforesaid damping has the object of suppressing the tendency of the gyroscopic axis of a gyrocompass to hunt along an elliptical path, with a progressive approach to a stop position, along a spiral path. However, the application of a torque for that purpose has the consequence that the orientation of the spin axis shifts, with respect to the true meridian, eastward in the northern hemisphere and westward in the southern hemisphere. The error may be calculated for a given compass as a function of the geographical latitude where the compass is situated, and may be tabulated for a correction of the reading or may be directly corrected in various modes. The first mode of correction consists in the rotation of the entire binnacle of the compass through an angle equal and opposite to the calculated error, but that is not very practical because of the dimensions and the weight of the apparatus. A second mode consists in the displacement of the index with respect to which the reading on the graduated compass card is made, or in the displacement of the connection of the compass card with respect to the compass, but this requires complex mechanisms with sealing difficulties due to the fact that the compass is normally immersed in a liquid. Other modes consist in the direct action on the gyroscopic system to compensate the error, but they present the inconvenience of putting the entire equipment out of service in case of failure.